Automatic stop for mine-cars.



C. VV. WATKINS.

AUTOMATIC SWP FOR MINE CARS.

,Wmo/mou man ocra ma.

Patented Dec.. 10, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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gmc/MTM AUTOMATIC STOP FOR MINE CARS.

APPLICATION man ocT.2.1918.

,287,53 Puonfcd Dec. 10, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

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fik-"FT r "Fr mi on AUOMATC STOP FOR MNE-CARS.

messes.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. i0, i918.

Application led October 2, 1918. Serial No. 256,540.

' T o all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES lV. lVATKINs, a citizen ot the United States, residing at Dorranceton, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania7 have invented certain new and useful improvements in Auto inatic Stops for Mine-Gars, ofc' which the irollo *ing is a specification7 reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

rthis .invention relates to an improved automatic stop for mine cars, and has for its primary object to provide a very siniply constructed and durable apparatus for efectiveiy stopping,- a run-away inine ear at the end of a grade to thereby prevent the derailing and possible wreckage of the car.

it is a more particular' object oi my invention 'to provide automatic ineans mounted in the track atthe end of the grade which will also prevent the possibility or' a. rear end collision between car which has heen stopped and a following car.

lt is also an important object of the invention to provide ineans whereby when the device is actuated to release one car, it is automatically reset so as to step a following ear.

The invent-ion Jfurther detail objects to provide a mechanism automatically actuated by the niine car cage for operating the stop device to release a car held thereby.

My invention further contemplates vthe Aprovision of improved incans rior elilectively cushioning the shock or jar upon the parts ol the stop device and causing rebound ci the car upon traolr rails to 'thereby ol)- viate the possihility of breakage or the car axle or ther parts thereof.

vWith 'the alcove and other objects in view,

liront "1 consists in the detail construction, combination and relative arrangement lthe eral parts as will oe hereinafter i re particularly described7 subsequently i od and illustrated in the accompanying in which sin'iilar reference characn ters ldesi 'nate corresponding parts though- -Ll e .feral views, and wherei .e i. is a. side elevation showing one released from tf stop device and car shout to strike the stop liars Ytting the 'inechanisin acrnine cage for moving the .and also tnated hy stop oars to released position;

the

llig. 2 a longitudinal section through, par stop g,

has for one or its Fig. 8 is a top plan view; and

F ig. e is a section taken on the line. i of' F ig. 3.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 designates a series oi' supporting ties which are suitably spaced apart, and upon. which the track rails, shown at (3, are securely spiked or otherwise iixed. Between the track ralls, a series oi longitudinally extend ing nietal straps 7 are. arranged on the ties 5 and anchor Abolts 8 are engaged through the ties and have headed ends disposed in countersunk openings in the metal stra-ps. The straps constitute a hase plate.

A second series of metal stra-ps 9 extend in parallel rela-tion tothe straps .7 and are( suitably spa-ced aliove the latter straps. The ends of the straps 9 are downwardly inclined, as shown at l0, and secured to the hase straps 'l' at their extremities. Heavy niet-al *bracing blocks l1 are interposed hetween the inclined ends l0 of the straps 9 and thestraps 7, and suitably secured to the two series of straps. The block 10 at the rear end of the device is formed upon its front end face with. -a plurality of spaced lugs l2 for a purpose which will presently appear.

A sliding head 13 is engaged between the medial portions of the hase straps 7 and the' upper series olf straps 9 and is longitudinally movable with respect thereto. This head is termed with an opening and bosses lou the side laces oi said bloeit at the ends ci the opening. A shaftor axle i5 mounted for rocking movement in the opening the. head hloclf and upon the ends olf this which. projects beyond thc opposite sides oi the block 13, the stop oars lli are secured, each of said 'bars having a boss or collar l? iforined upon its outer side. tace and through coinciding openings in said hess and the cud oi the shaft7 a. cotter pin or other suitable snoring means for the stop har engaged. lt will. however, he 'understood that thc stop hars; may he keyed pon the einls of said shaft and held against rotation relative thereto "hy any other preferred means. Each oi the lll formed a t its forward end with an upwardly projecting toe 1S, with which the ear wheel axle is adapted to gage when the stop hars are in their normal positions. Each oit' said hars is likewise provided at its opposite or rear end with an upwardly inclined shoulder or extension l2?. To the .latter end or each stop har o. f

lil)

the lower edge thereof, a guide etrap or loop Qt) is tired at its endsn 2l d gnates a roel; shaft .mount ed upoln one ot the ties and having spaced eanlfs A22 l'ornied therein whieh are respectively en- Araged in the `guide loops 20. 'l`o this` shalt, at one of its ends, a lever 255 tixed, while lo the other end ol the elia'lft. an arin 'il is secured, said arm projet-'line troni the shal't al, right ai'igg'les to the direetion ol' the lever.

"'rofn the end of the rear bracing` block ll.

lhese springs normally aet to urge the bleek or head 13 and the strap bars lli in a forward direetion so that the eranlis ol the shaft lil'afill be ni'nfinally engaged in the rear ends of the guideloops 30. Upon the lever 23, a connterlnilaneing weight 27 is secured, and this weight, when disposed at onel side ot' the axisol'fthe shaft, 2l, serves to retain the stop bars .1G in their normal positions,vas shown in iull lines in ldig. l.

llfhen the mine ear arrives at its pointI ol destination where the .stop deviee is loeated, the liront axle. thereotl strikes the liront upper ends oi' the stop bars at the toe portions ll thereof, The force ol'v the impact eauses the stop bars to be noted rearwardly, together with the slide bloelc lf3 and agaiuat the aC- tion oft the cushioning springs 2li. The ear innnediately rebounds, the springs returning' the stop bars 15 lo their t'ornier positions. l`hus, the nim'ement of the car is cheeked and cushioned and the possibility ot' the ear l wing;` the rails and resulting in the wreckage, thereof is obviated. lllhen the. lever 23 is swung' to the right, troni its ilull line poeition, the cranks ol the shalt 'll are moved upwardly, thereby raising the rear ends; of the stop bars lli and lowering` the forward ends o'l said bars so that the toe poi-tieni; 1,8 will be disposed below the ear axle. 'Ut eourfenpfni the release of the oar, its incitement eoutinues and the lront axle thereo't strikes the upwardly inelined shoulders, he toe portions at the rear ends o'lt the hars 'tl :toreiingthe stop bars in a. downward direetion at their rear ends and thereby moving the lever over to the lett hand side of the center ot the shaft 2l. The, Weight 27 on said lever then moving by Agravity eontinues the swinging movement ot the lever and through the :tnedilun of the. cranks 22 acting; upon the guide loops4 20, the, downward movement ot the roar ends oi the stop bars is eontinued, thus again elevating' the forward ends oli said bars to their normal f iositions,` where they will engage with the aide ol,E the 'following eer.

The mine ears are deli track rails o from the ini order te prevent the poss. sion between two ears traveling' on the rails 6, l

have provided means actuated b v the cagel 7G upon said arm, as at S2. This trip member 80 1s formed with a lue 33 to engage the stop 30 to limit the pivotal movement of the trip in one direction. The trip member 3l .at its othei` or tree end projects into the mine shaft and is adapted to be, engaged by the 85 cage floor, indicated at Il", in the downward.,,

nioif'en'ienl; ot the cage to aetuate the lever 28. The other or vertical arm of the lever Q8 is Connected by a rod or other suitable. elen'ient, B4? to one arni ot the lo f" lever the ot-l'ier arm ol which, indiealed at: 3G, is connected by means of a link Si' to lthe arno lifted on the end ot thefgroefk Shaft 2l. irssniningv that the stop bare lo are in the it'nll line positions shown in Fie; 95

Vl, when the mine cage descends with another ear to be moved from. the ea'ge upon thel-,raek rails 6, the (faire floor strikes the vtrip member 3l and as this trip member is held against downward movement relative 10o to the lever arm by the stop 30, said leiljer will be actuated-and through the medium ol the bell eranli't, link 37 and'arrn 25, the shalitQl is roeled as above explained so that the erfanls 22 thereot will operate the 105 stop bars 1G, loweringfthe Ytfnward ends ot said bars to release the ear. 'l`he front axle ot the ear engaging; the refieendof the stop bars as above explained, ,reverses the movement of the oranti', shaft andreturns 110 the Stop bare to their normal positions. r:llhel distance between the front and rear axle of the ear and the length o'l 'the stop bf is such that a second ear moving; troni 'the eagle along the traek rails cannot possibly 115 strike the rear end ot the ear just released 'from the Stop device, before the front axle of the second car engages the ends of the bars 16. Thus,l all possibility of collision between two ears moving;1 'from the'mine 120 eag'e over the rails G will be obviated.

lt will, of eourse, be understood that in the return of the Stop bars to their normalv positions, the bellcrank lever 28 is also re- 'turned to its normal position so that the trip 125 nieinber 31 will extend horizontally over the edge of the Cage floor. v In the upward movenient ol thex cage, the Vliloor engages the tr'p member and little the same'relati tothe erin ot the bell crank lever, thus permitting 13oV One arm 0f this lever is hori- 75 of the movement of the cage without actu adapted to be engaged by the rear ends of the stop barslG when said bars are driven with great force in a rearward direction,.as when la run-away car on a steep grade strikes the forward ends of the stop bars. Thus, in such cases, the arts of the device will not be injured or bro en. No serious injury will occur to the mine car even in such cases,A

though the axle might be slightly bent.l The springs 28 are amply strong enough to sustain allordinary shocksor jars which might reasonably be expected in the ordinary operation of the car.

Preferably, longitudinally disposed guide cleats 13 are fixed to the upper and lower faces of the head 13, at each side thereof, said cleats eil'ectually preventing the transverse shifting movement of the head relative to the spaced metal straps 7 and 9.

When the stop bars 16 are in their normal positions, as seen in full lines in Fig. 1, they are electually locked against tilting movement, whereby the car might be released by reason 'of the angular relation of the cranks 22 with respect to the angle of said stop bars. From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

it is believed that the construction, manner of operation and several advantages of my i' invention will be clearly/and fullyvunderrails, means for yield stood.' The apparatus has been 'thoroughly tested in' practical use and has been found to effectively accomplish the desired purpose. I have herein referred to a plurality of metal straps in the construction of Vthe body of the device, but it is apparent that a single plate may be substituted for such straps if desired. By providing the inclined portions 10 of this body, loose couplings and other partsof the cars may freely' drag'over the same between the stop bars 16. monntingand arrangement of the cranked rock shaft and also of the several parts actuated by the mine car cage, are capable of. 'considerable variation, and it 1s to be understood that I reserve the privilege in practice of resorting to all such legitimate alternative modifications of my invention herei-ndescribed, as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the appended claims,

l claim 1. A stop device for cars including cally tiltablo and longitudinally in stop members mon;

The

-tically tilt-able and longitudinally movable stop members mounted between the track rails, means for yieldingly limiting longitudinal movement of said members in one direction, said members when in their normal positions being adapted to engage at one of their ends'with the front axle of a car, and counterweighted means for tilting said members and retaining the same in their op-A erative or linoperative positions, the front axle of'the car when released engaging the other ends of said' members to return said members to their eifectivey positions. 3. A. stop device for cars including a vslid-` ing head mounted between the track rails, means for yieldingly cushioning the movement of said head in one direction, vertically tiltable stop bars mounted upon said head and movable therewith, and means opera-- tively connected to said bars at one of their ends to retain the same in position for engagement at their other ends with the front axle of a car and to tilt said members to release the'car, the axle of the moving car being adapted to engagethe first named ends of said members and return the same to their normal effective positions.

4. A stop device. for cars including-guide means arranged between the track rails and a horizontally movable head mounted in the guide means, means ,for yieldingly cushioning the movement of said head, tiltable stop .bars mounted on the head and movable' .theirends' with the front axle of -a car and being movable under impact with relation tov-the rock shaft. 'A

A. stop device for cars including guide means arranged between the track rails, a head slidably mounted in said. guide means',

.vertically tiltable bars carried by the head' and movable therewith, a rock shaft having' spaced cranks therein, said bars being operatively connected 'at one of their ends tol the respective cranks and movable relative thereto, means for curl"V e" increment of said hea tien ci; the reckshaft gag-ement at one of their ends with the front axle. of a ear, and automatically actuated means connected to said shaft to rock the saine and tilt said stop members, whereby the ca r is released for movement upon the track, the car axle coacting` with said members to return the same to their normal. effective positions. f Y.

G. A Stop device for cars including guide means arranged between the track rails, ,a head sliflably mounted in said guide means, vertically tiltahle here carried by the head :nul movable therewith, a rock shaft having spaced cranks therein, said bare being operatively connected at one of their ends to ,the respective cranks and movable relative thereto, means for cushioning; the sliding movement of Said head, said bars in one position of the rock shaft beingadapted -for engauement at one of their ends with the front a-X e of a eer, a trip member adapted to be engaged and actuatedA by the mine. lcage in its movement in one direction, andfgmea-ns operatively connecting the trip member to -v /saillrock shaft to actuate the latter and tilt ea-iii members to release the. car, the car axle coacting-.L` seme to their normal effective positions.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence ot' vtwo witnesses CHARLES WALTER YATKINS lvitnesses.: 4

.THnonoizE Meyers,

FRED W. ELLIS.

'ith-said members to 'ret-urn the VSi) 

